Abortion business exploits South Dakota clergy

"Planned Parenthood has stooped to a new low while implementing one of its three strategic objectives in the attempt to overturn the South Dakota abortion ban," said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League. "Recognizing that South Dakotans are faithful people, the abortion chain has apparently manipulated a handful of pastors into supporting the brutal violence of abortion in an effort to confuse and mislead faithful Christians."

During a strategy conference call held in August, Planned Parenthood made clear its intentions to exploit churches in the attempt to repeal the abortion law. On the call, the group's hired political consultant described the strategy the abortion business planned to use: "We want to organize within those churches just like the opposition will within the Catholic Church, within the fundamentalist churches, etc. So that's going to be a very important piece for us."

Planned Parenthood saw these plans come to fruition on Tuesday when a small group of pastors from five denominations held a press conference in Sioux Falls to publicly announce their opposition to South Dakota's Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act (HB 1215), which bans all medical and surgical abortions in the state.

"I pray that these pastors remember that 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' is one of the Ten Commandments, and that they come to realize how they are being used by the abortion industry to promote the brutal killing of innocent children," Sedlak said. "As shepherds of their flocks, pastors have a responsibility to teach the Word of God without revision, and they would do well to remember the words of Mark 9:42: 'Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.'"

On November 7, South Dakota voters will have the opportunity to uphold the recently passed abortion ban in a statewide referendum vote. "People of faith and conscience should reject the manipulative propaganda from Planned Parenthood," said Sedlak, "and vote yes on Referred Law 6 to protect every child from the violence of abortion."